Originating in the famous Bordeaux region of France, this increasingly popular medium to dark red wine; exudes a very easy going, almost heavenly fruity complexity, naturally alluring as it highlights such a wide spectrum of flavors, from cherry to black currant. In the past decade, merlot has taken the entire world by storm and is now being “specialty produced” in amazingly delicious vintages coming out of Italy, California, Australia, Argentina, Chile, New Zealand, South Africa, even Switzerland, Croatia, Slovenia, as well as other regions of North America and the United States.
Merlot is a distinctly delectable, soft, easy to drink, medium-bodied red wine with a wide range of explosively juicy fruit flavors ranging from cherries. currants, plums, blueberries black cherries and blackberries, often with a hint of oak, spice, tobacco, mint or even black pepper. Some boutique quality wineries are now producing the most outrageously ambrosial merlots that have been infused with the essence of everything from: vanilla, coconut, musk, sweet wood, caramel, clove, bay leaf, green pepper, corn, truffle, coffee, leather, cedar, bell pepper, green olive, mushrooms, even earth and cigar box.
The tannin levels within merlot are intentionally kept relatively low, leading to a much smoother, easier to drink, less dry and most certainly less acidic aftertaste than many people commonly come to expect from a premium quality red wine.
This is the unique character that has raised the public’s awareness and appreciation for a truly superior merlot, as it’s “fruit flavors” are typically very well established and forward, making merlot one of the premier candidates for wine drinkers learning to comfortably and affectionately transition from the universe of white wines to the more deeply complex and sophisticated red wines.
Merlot is often relied upon at large social gatherings, used to blend with other varietals, such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc., as well as with numerous fruit juices and natural sodas, to custom-create some amazingly tasty, yet inexpensive libation experiences. By blending Merlot with other wines and juices, exceptionally unique and appealing symbiotic relationships are developed that please the palates of even the most strict and rigorous aficionados.
Merlot is so extremely versatile and massively popular, that there are absolutely “No Limits” to what you can serve it with. From poultry to red meat, from pasta to pork, from fish to salads, even as an after-dinner dessert wine with cheese and fruit, Merlot is simply PERFECT!
We here at Coastal Vineyards pride ourselves in our ability to present our members with the veritable “Best of the Best” Merlots found anywhere on the planet. Our wine experts continue to scan the Earth, from horizon to horizon, in search of the most mouthwatering, quality crafted “connoisseur’s Choice,” boutique style merlots made by the specialty vintners that do it for the love and the art of making the world’s ultimate wines.
These efforts clearly are a lot of work and come at a great expense, but we know from all of the phone calls, emails and letters that this is exactly what keeps our members coming back and passing those “priceless” word-of-mouth referrals that all the money in the world can’t buy. That means a lot to us, because we know it means a lot to you!